


Bon Appétit

by Erika (Aeiouna)



Category: Backstreet Boys, NSYNC
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-30 17:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/334018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeiouna/pseuds/Erika





	Bon Appétit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jewelianna88](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewelianna88/gifts).



Nick's hands shook as he dialed the number. This was his last chance to try to salvage his relationship. His boyfriend always loved eating well made home cooked meals, but Nick had never been particularly good at it (to be honest, neither of them really were). And they had been fighting lately, so he was wondering if maybe, just maybe, he learned to cook so he could cook for his boyfriend, then they could stick it out. He didn't know why he thought that work, but it did. So he couldn't help but want to inquire the Craigslist ad offering cooking lessons (for a fee, of course, but Nick was more than willing to pay.) He was contemplating dialing the number so he could get the lessons and keep his boyfriend, but something was holding him back. What if he sucked at cooking, even with the lessons? What if the teacher didn't (and wasn't willing) to teach him his boyfriend's favorite dish? What if it just didn't work out and he didn't learn anything? And he couldn't do that, let that happen. He couldn't lose his boyfriend.

So, finally, after mustering up all his strength, he dialed the number on the ad and waited as it rung. He jumped when someone answered.

"Café Tuva, Lance speaking," Lance had just started the café, and it was struggling. So he had put up the ad for the cooking lessons to help keep the restaurant afloat, but even that wasn't getting any takers. He was starting to stress out when the phone call came in.

"Yeah, hi," Nick started, "My name's Nick and I saw your ad on Craigslist..." he started, but was quickly interrupted.

"You did?!" Lance said excitedly. This was it, finally someone had responded "I haven't had any other takers, so I aplogize for my excitement. Anyway, so I just opened up a restaurant, and it's still trying to gain its bearings, you know?"

Nick nodded. "You said Café Tuva, correct? I've driven past there, but I never seem to have any money when I do. I've been meaning to go in though!" he smiled, "And whatever your rate, I am willing to pay. Name your price. I'm desperate."

"May I ask why?" Lance asked.

"I'll explain at our first class," Nick didn't feel like going into the details over the phone, "Which will be when, by the way?" He played with a loose string on his shirt as he talked. The chef, now his new teacher, sounded like a dream. His voice felt like melted chocolate to Nick's ears. He didn't need this right now. Not with the reason he was even doing this in the first place. No this wasn't going to work.

"How about tomorrow?" Lance suggested, "The restaurant is usually closed for the lunch/dinner changeover from three to five. We could do it then?" he suggested.

"That sounds perfect!" Nick smiled, "And then maybe we could do them every Wednesday?"

"Wednesdays are perfect to start," Lance agreed, "Then maybe we can add more whenever you start to feel comfortable."

"Sounds good!" Nick finished the call and hung up, excited for what was to come.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Lance was treating Nick to lunch before their first lesson, "You think that by learning to cook, you'll keep your boyfriend?" he looked up at the poor kid (even though he really wasn't much younger than Lance was). "May I ask why you think that?" He wanted to tell Nick that it, well, it didn't work like that, and that there was a lot more going on than Nick being unable to cook, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Yeah," Nick nodded, swallowing a sob, "I think that if maybe, just maybe, I learn to cook, it'll propel him to maybe fix the things he's doing that are causing us to fight." He thought that this was, this thing, was a fault with him.

"Nick," Lance put his hand on Nick's shoulder, "I'll gladly give you the lessons still, but if this doesn't help your relationship then it wasn't meant to be, and that's okay." He stood up and held his hand out. "Now, c'mon, let's get that lesson started!" He felt a chill down his spine when his hand touched Nick's, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. Not a damn thing. Nick was taken, and he was doing this to fix his relationship. No, he couldn't do this to him.

Nick blushed. There was something... different about Lance. Something... special. Something he hadn't felt for a long time, but he had to let it slide. He wasn't supposed to hook up with Lance, that wasn't the point at all. He shrugged it off, "Yeah, let's get the lesson started!"

* * *

Nick flew into the door of the restuarant, tears flowing from his eyes and his fists pounding to be let in. He was just finished his last lesson, had learned to make his boyfriend's favorite dish, and was ready to show it off to him. He bounced out of the restaurant with the dish, ready to deliver it to his boyfriend's office as lunch surprise. But when he got there, his boyfriend rejected the meal, another fight had ensued, and it ended with Nick being told he was basically useless, would amount to nothing, meant nothing to his now ex-boyfriend. He wasn't willing to change, he had never been willing to change. Nick explained it was a two way street but he didn't give a fuck. He had expected Nick to just roll over and be a lap dog, to do all the changing. And there was no way he was going to do that. Even he knew that wasn't fair.

Lance looked up when he heard the pounding on the door and went to open it starting off his speil that he usually gave to customers when they came by between three and five, "I'm sorry, we're closed for shift change until five. You are more than... Nick?" he let the other man in, "Nick, what's wrong? What happened?"

"He broke up with me," Nick sobbed, "Told me that I had wasted my time. Seems he never wanted to change, wanted to mold me into a submissive lap dog for him." He sniffled, "Why does this always happen to me?"

Lance wrapped his arms around Nick, "You know, I believe everything happens for a reason," he whispered. He had been spending time with Nick a lot the last few weeks. The last two had been daily lessons, and he wanted to spend all his time with Nick.

"Yeah?" Nick asked.

Lance nodded. "You're not meant to be with that guy."

"No?" Nick then asked.

"No," Lance then surprised himself by kissing Nick. A quick one, nothing worth scaring him off. To his further surprise, Nick kissed back.

"Who knows, maybe I was just... eating at the wrong places, maybe?"

"You could say that," Lance said with another kiss.


End file.
